Display carton



June 30, 1970 R. A. COTE DISPLAY CARTON Fileci Nov. 4,, 1968 INVENTOR RAYMOND A. COTE ATTORNE s United States Patent Office 3,517,801 Patented June 30, 1970 3,517,801 DISPLAY CARTON Raymond A. Cote, Doraville, Ga., assignor to Riegel Paper Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 772,921 Int. Cl. B65d /50, 25/10 US. Cl. 206-45.14 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bottom fillable carton for bottles and the like having a wrap-around display window and a canted, resiliently suspended, article-support platform derived from three contiguous wall panels is disclosed herein. The carton is reinforced and stiffened by a structural member which extends across the carton and engages the platform to limit the extent of its inward and upward displacement and to facilitate bottom loading of the carton.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Cartons for supporting and displaying fragile articles are well known to the art and assume a wide variety of configurations, the selection of which is invariably dictated by the nature and shape of the specific article to be packaged. Among these cartons are those which employ a canted platform or platforms to engage the packaged article, an excellent example of which is disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,282,410.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The present invention is directed to an improvement of the platform arrangement of display cartons of the type described and, more specifically, is directed to an improved carton for packaging bottles having peaked tops, e.g., glue bottles with dispensing nipples.

The carton of the invention is of rectangular cross section and has a conventional tuck bottom upon which the base of the packaged bottle rests. A major portion of the bottle is exposed for display through a wrap-around window formed in the front and side carton walls, while the top of the bottle, specifically, the nipple, is supported by a canted platform derived from the front wall and suspended by reversible webs derived from the contiguous side walls. In accordance with the principles of the invention, a stiffening or bracing panel extends across the carton width between the glue flap and an auxiliary glue flap, which bracing panel engages the platform panel across its width and thereby limits its inward and upward displacement. The bracing panel increases carton rigidity and stiffness, which, of course, enhances the protection afforded the packaged article by the carton of the invention.

For a more complete understanding of the invention and a better appreciation of its attendant advantages, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a plan view of a cut and scored paperboard blank from which the new and improved carton may be erected;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a carton embodying the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the carton of FIG. 2 taken along line 33 thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the new carton.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. 1, the paperboard blank 10, from which the new carton may be erected, includes a first side Wall panel 11, a front Wallpanel 12, a second side wall panel 13, a rear wall panel 14, a glue flap 15, a bracing member 16, and an auxiliary glue flap 17, which are consecutively articulated along vertical score lines 18-23, respectively. Conventional bottom closing dust flaps 24, 25 and a bottom panel 26 with a tuck flap 27 are articulated to the panels 11-13 along a horizontal score line 28, as shown. A hang tab 54, defined by cuts 55 and score line 56 and having a removable aperture 58 is provided in the rear wall panel'14, while a keyhole shaped aperture 57 is provided in the platform panel 30.

In accordance with the invention, a wrap-around window-forming area is provided in the blank 10 by the stripping of the generally U-shaped portion 29 defined by a continuous cut 40 and by a platform panel 30, support webs 31, 32 and platform flap 33. As will be understood, the window-forming portions divide the front Wall panel 12 into upper and lower wall portions 12a, 12b, respectively. The platform panel 30 is hinged to the front wall portions 12a. along a score line 34.

More specifically, and as shown in FIG. 1, the panels 11-14 and 16 are of equal width (horizontal dimensions of l the blank) and the platform panel is of a length (vertical dimension of the blank) greater than the widths of panels 11, 13. As also shown in FIG. 1 and as a further aspect of the invention, the length of the bracing panel 16 is such that its lower edge, defined by score line 53, is below the upper edge 34 of the platform panel 30. Additionally, a bracing flap 52a is articulated to the lower edge of the bracing panel 16 along the score line 53.

In accordance with the invention, the webs 31, 32, which suspend the platform 30 in the erected form of the carton, are uniquely formed to be simply and efficiently reversible. Each of the Webs 31, 32 includes a major panel 50 and a minor panel 51. The major web panel is defined by a vertical line of weakness 41 comprised of the score lines 18 or 19 further weakened by cuts 42 at the uppermost portions; a J-shaped cut 43 extending downwardly and inwardly; a score line 44; and the cut 40'. The minor web panel 51 is defined by the foot of the J-shaped cut 43; the score line 44; the cut 40; and a score line 45, which is co-linear with the leg portion of the J-shaped cut 43.

The blank 10 may be formed into a collapsed, flatfolded carton tube (for space-saving economies in shipment and storage) by conventional folding and gluing techniques in which the auxiliary glue flap 17 is glued to the panel 13 before the glue flap 15 is glued to the panel 11, as should be understood.

When the final article packaging operation is to be commenced, the collapsed tube is squared. As will be understood, with the carton thus squared, the platform panel 30 and webs 31, 32 will be in the planes of the front wall 12 and side walls 11, 13, while the bracing panel 16 will extend across the carton. The application of .light inwardly directed pressure to the platform panel 30 will snap it inwardly and upwardly of the carton and into an article-receiving and window-forming position in which the platform 30 abuts the lower edge 53 of the brace panel 16 (FIGS. 2-4). As should be understood, the specific configuration of the reversible webs 31, 32 facilitates and expedites this platform erection step and the erected platform and bracing panel will tend to maintain the tube in a squared condition for subsequent loading. Thereafter, the article to be packaged, i.e., a glue bottle G, may be inserted through the open bottom of the tube and the nipple may be directed into a seated relation in the aperture 57. As an important specific aspect of the invention, the platform, as reinforced by the bracing panel 16, will be sufficiently resilient to accommodate a selfseating of the nipple while also being sufliciently strong and stiff to withstand the forces of bottle loading. As will be understood, a conventional web-suspending structure might otherwise tend to collapse or distort when subjected to severe end loading forces. Finally, the carton is completed by the closing of the bottom through the infolding of the dust flaps and the insertion of the tuck flap 27 between the dust flap edges and the rear wall 14 (FIG. 3).

In accordance with the invention, the completed package, i.e., carton and peaked bottle, in which the platform 30 is sufiiciently flexibly suspended to accommodate bottom loading and article insertion or alignment therein, is effectively reinforced and strengthened by the brace panel 16 which limits the displacement of the plaform to its predetermined optimum position, as shown best in FIG. 3, and prevents the collapse of the platform during loading.

It should be understood that the specific forms of the invention herein illustrated and described are intended to be representative only, as certain changes may be made therein Without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. For example, were it determined to locate the bracing panel 16 in a carton plane which would interfere with the nipple insertion, a suitable aperture would be formed in the bracing panel and the flap 52 to accommodate the free insertion of the nipple N into the aperture 57.

I claim:

1. A carton for the stabilized support and display of a fragile article or the like, comprising (a) a tubular sleeve including consecutively articulated first side, front, second side, and rear walls and a glue flap;

(b) bottom closing flap means articulated to the lower edge of at least one of said walls;

(c) said front wall being divided into upper and lower portions and defining a display window therebetween;

((1) said side walls defining window portions contiguous with said display window;

(6) an article supporting platform having a central aperture hingedly connected to said upper front wall portions and arranged in a predetermined sloped relation with respect to the rear wall;

(f reversible web means connected to at least the rearmost edge portions of said platform and resiliently suspending said platform from said second and third walls;

(g) a bracing panel articulated to the upper portions of said glue flap and extending across said sleeve parallel with said front and rear walls;

(h) a bracing flap articulated to the lower edge of said bracing member;

(i) an auxiliary glue flap adhering said bracing panel to said second side wall;

(j) the lower edge of said bracing panel engaging said platform panel to limit its upward displacement within the carton;

Cir

(k) said bracing flap extending rearwardly along the upper surface of said article supporting platform and arranged in said predetermined sloped relation with respect to the rear Wall.

2. A carton for the stabilized support and display of a fragile article or the like, comprising (a) a tubular sleeve including consecutively articulated first side, front, second side, and rear walls and a glue flap;

(b) bottom closing flap means articulated to the lower edge of at least one of said walls;

(c) said front Wall being divided into upper and lower portions and defining a display window therebetween;

(d) said side walls defining window portions contiguous with said display window;

(e) an article supporting platform having a central aperture hingedly connected to said upper front wall portions and arranged in a predetermined sloped relation with respect to the rear wall;

(f) reversible web means connected to at least the rearmost edge portions of said platform and resiliently suspending said platform from said second and third walls;

(g) said reversible web means include major and minor panel portions;

(h) said minor panel portions are articulated to said side walls along first score lines and to said major panel portions along second score lines;

(i) said major panel portions are articulated to said platform panel along third score lines which are comparatively longer than said first and second score lines;

(j) J-shaped cuts extend from the lower termini of said third score lines to the lower termini of said second score lines and define the bottom edges of both of said major and minor web panels;

(k) a bracing panel articulated to the upper portions of said glue flap and extending across said sleeve parallel with said front and rear walls;

(1) an auxiliary glue flap adhering said bracing panel to said second side wall;

(m) the lower edge of said bracing panel engaging said platform panel to limit its upward displacement within the carton.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,643,811 6/1953 Bolding 206-45.31 3,282,410 11/1966 Cote 20645.14 3,360,117 12/1967 Powers et a1. 20645.l4

WILLIAM T. DIXSON, JR., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

